Justice Samuel Alito is a liar. His excuse for the inverted flag begins with a concocted story about a neighbor who wrote “F@#% Trump” on a lawn sign near a school bus stop. Mrs. Alito was so alarmed by the degradations and profane, yet protected speech that she went immediately home, and inverted the American flag signaling distress.
Thank you Steve for your no bs statement of fact about Alito and Thomas. They are both extreme, truly corrupt, pompous and arrogant and are a stain on the Robert’s Court. Please keep telling the truth on these bastards!
Alito and Thomas are the two insurrection sympathizers we know of. I suspect Gorsuch, who has yet to find a branch of government he doesn’t want to dismantle, is right up there. Along with Kavanaugh. So I’m guessing 4 for sure.
There are no words to describe how low and how corrupt the Roberts Court has become.
Stef, I don't think there's any doubt about Gorsuch and where his sympathies lie. There's enough of a paper trail on him to prove it. I don't hold Kavanaugh in high regard at all either, but he sometimes come off as a more moderate voice in his writings. I think his is a clever act, though. Yes, 4 for sure. This story should be major news going forward until Alito is humiliated and forced to resign.
Alito is without shame. He is behaving as he does because he can. The same for Thomas. Political hacks. Don't expect recusal or resignation from either one.
At this point, assuming that Roberts sides with the Lady Justices, the tiebreaker would be Justice Coney Barrett. And I don’t know how I feel about that. She certainly did her homework when they heard Rrump’s immunity case. She was sharp that day, contrary to her male colleagues who basically threw softball questions at the defense.
But the judges and Justices know that MAGAts are just waiting for a signal, anything that could justify mob violence. And I don’t think Justice Coney Barrett wants to be remembered as the one who ignited the riots.
I think you are correct and possibly there is a 5th. They are untouchable. Combined, their agenda is becoming more an more obvious. It is time to loudly condemn add to and balance out the top court by expanding and selecting from other than the rusty relic aka Heritage Society.
He’s in cahoots with the some of the very worst people on the planet. Blue wave > congressional hearings > impeachment of Alito (Alito’s Way) and Thomas > expand the court. For starters.
That is the “Problem”, Steve. “He should recuse himself” (but, he won’t) and neither will Thomas.
I know, for me, I have a real problem with this. We have 9 SC Justices. We also, all know that their leader (1 Leonard Leo who they listen to) = nothing less than Corrupted Court.
“We The People” are told “there is nothing we can do about this” so what, we are supposed to let this group destroy us?
We also have many well respected attorneys and Constitutional experts who have stated facts and/or shared their thoughts on why immunity is not in the Constitution. “Nothing we can do”?
This certainly cannot be so. Please someone explain this to us. This is unacceptable. Help?
Steve what can be done about Alito? Does Roberts have any control over this ? Can he force Alito to recuse himself from the immunity case? Can a Justice be removed from the Court? The Court is in shambles…
As far as I know, the only recourse is impeachment. But that's a longshot because of the 2/3 senate requirement. The only solution seems to be adding 4 more justices.
That’s my question. What CAN be done. And by whom & how & when? The Court is proving far more dangerous and corrupt than even I thought it could be. Even worse than those called politicians taking bribes.
Agree 100%. Two sordid little men, weak and envious. Achieved the height in an intellectual pursuit (law), they are so small and petty as to trade it for what? Fly-fishing for free? Character counts America.
It's almost like they think, "I'm a Supreme Court Justice I should have this kind of lifestyle that Leonard Leo affords me. I am above the law. I have a lifetime appointment and that's the way the cookie crumbles."
Alito should be impeached. Thomas should recuse himself from Trump cases. And the court MUST be enlarged, otherwise we will see the last 70 yrs of progress reversed.
Correct on both counts, but the people aren't screaming loudly enough about these two I wonder though if expanding the court would actually help? What if it were expanded and the Republicans win control? Wouldn't that give them the opportunity to expand it again, to include even more of their fascist and corrupt judges?
I think Dems should stop worrying about any future Repub actions. The Repubs never worry about it, and that allowed them to produce Trump and stack the SC.
I cannot say I disagree with you but I can say it is something I think about as someone who still believes in our freedom of speech and thought. My apologies if my thought process offends you in a way which prompted you to snark out at me for my thought.
My only intent was to share the possibility of a potential revolving door of expansion of the SC, creating an everlasting pi**ing contest between the two parties.
Tia Goode, I'm sorry if you thought my comment was directed at you--it was not. I was speaking about Dems in general, many who are reticent to speak against other Dems. It just happens that your comment motivated me to speak to the general reticence that we have as Democrats.
The principal Dem, who feels that way is Joe Biden. He hates to speak against moderates, including Repubs, whom he feels he might need in future battles. For example, it took him too long to speak out about the policies of Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, and the Repubs use that as one of their talking points. Also, his moderation gave us Clarence Thomas. He's still wishy-washy in his policy toward the hundreds of thousands of dead Palestinians; there are ways to tactfully be forceful. I will say however, that he's more progessive than Obama, who was really a moderate, trying to reach out across the aisle. How did that work out?--It took him about 2 years to realize they would not cooperate with anything he said; indeed, McConnell's stated goal was to make him a one-term president.
Of course, I will vote for Biden. Thankfully, he has moved to the left of the moderation of his younger days. I vote by mail in PA, where we have no problem with mail-in ballots. Of course, we've had gerrymandering problems in the past, but the mails are safe. We cannot vote, or not vote, because of one issue.
Please know that I was not offended by your comment. It just led me to an issue that I was going to comment on, anyway. Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding. I admire you for being a proud Democrat!
Thank you for your apology which is well received. I did think you were coming at me and for the misunderstanding on my part, I apologize to you.
Everything you've stated here is true and I agree with you. Note also, I will be on line with you voting for Mr. Biden as well, despite his oftentimes laissez-faire/ wait till it's a crisis- response time to serious issues, which I'm my mind is the MO of our Democrats.
Thank you for your sensible thoughts, your willingness to share them with me in order to further our understanding of each other, your commitment to our professed values as a country and most of all, your bravery to call it out when these values we are so proud of, fail to be applied to others in our world because of political games being played with all of our lives. 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🙏
PS..."My" side note on Obama...I always believed the determination of McConnell etal, had so much to do with their astonishment that a man of color was elected. Psychologically devastating to the malignantly narcissistic egos of the good ole boy kult. "How dare he"....😉
I just moved to paid subscriber. Thanks for the crystal clear acidly description of the SCOTUS situation. I am a retired attorney who always thought that our judicial institutions would be the ultimate restraint on the demagogue authoritarian trend of our politics. I was mistaken. You said it clearly. Keep saying it
It needs to be made clear to voters that elections are about the Supreme Court and who gets on there and how it shapes the country's future...these voters who vote 3d party because they are pissed off about something are the ones who saddle the rest of the country with these corrupt supreme court justices and most recently (and potentially future) corrupt Trump presidency.
Ditto for longtime Republican voters who will sit out the election if they dislike (!) Trump enough and the young liberal voters who are too pure to vote for Biden because of the catastrophic war on Gaza.
How though to make clear when most people neither read or watch news of substance? There is incredible (to this 77 yo who lived in a family that read and watched news) lack of interest it seems in presenting facts.
From Judge Cannon delaying Trump’s documents trial indefinitely, to Clarence Thomas openly accepting graft from right wing petitioners to the Supreme Court, to Alito’s inverted flag waving support of a deadly mob of thugs attempting to overthrow the government.
The brazenness with which they do all this so openly and in our faces signals a willingness to submit to a Trump led authoritarian takeover with their full-throated support.
If the right wing extremists are in control of every branch of government next January, which is looking ever more likely, they will never let go.
And our democratic form of government will be done.
Steve, you have done a fantastic job here and on The Warning podcast fully exploring and informing us of the depths of depravity if justice alito. I have a question. What is the responsibility of the Chief Justice, John Roberts?
That is a question that I have as well. Seems Chief Justice Roberts is ineffective to rein in ‘his’ two to three justices who are doing as they please. How can he look at himself in a mirror and think he is doing a good job?
You are probably correct, but what legacy? Corrupt, influenced by MAGA, holier than thou…feel sorry for the three liberal justices, bet they wish they were not on the Court.
Yes. Plus someone said Robert's wife collected $10 million in fees for some kind of headhunting agency placing interns who would clerk for the justices… Something like that. Can't verify but I just read that somewhere.
What is so saddening and sickening about this moment is the proof positive that the Supreme Court is not comprised of members who honor the hallowed ground on which they walk. The judiciary that I once respected and revered with a sense of righteousness I now despise as a loathsome club of self-aggrandizing deceptive elitists. Their “morals” were set alongside the curbs of treachery, sacrificing the epitome of integrity for the grift of sloth. The Court has been corrupted by biased, self-serving idealists who have failed as jurists. Objectivity and integrity were sacrificed to the benefit of whim and bias.
You nailed it, Steve, without the 🐂💩incorporated. Alito needs to be removed from the bench. It’s just that simple.
Besides, he threw his own wife under the bus with his comment “I knew nothing about the flag being upside down”. Really, idiot Alito. You live there! It had been inverted for days, according to your neighbors. The flag was flying inverted in the ‘National Distress’ signal in the FRONT YARD!
Alito isn’t even man enough to take blame fur his own actions. He doesn’t deserve to be on the bench of the Supreme Court, or any other court. He doesn’t even deserve to hold a law license!
Steve, excellent analysis, but the rot runs deeper than just Alito and Thomas. Although in Alito’s defense, his wife is apparently dyslexic, so the inverted flag was just a BIGLY misunderstanding…:)
That said, Chief Justice Robert’s wife enriched both of them by making more than $10 million in Headhunting l fees for hiring law clerks for the court (didn’t disclose).
Kavanaugh lied before Congress about his past partisan dealings during the Bush administration, not to mention his alcohol abuse, and sexual assaults.
Gorsuch, well who the hell knows what that guy is doing, except trying to dismantle every institution imaginable, and making a mockery of the rule of law, and himself.
And as for Coney Barrett? She’s in way over her head, and appears to be clueless in terms of self-awareness; attending a conservative conference after the Dobb’s decision, and taking a page out of the Nixon playbook: “The court is not a kangaroo court!Let’s just say her acting skills need a bit of a refresher course, to say the least!
The SC has become home of the four Justices of the TrumPocalypse:
Thomas is death
Alito is pestilence
Gorsuch is famine
Kavenaugh is just plain stupid!
As for Barrett and Robert’s? They complete the SC’s Village of the Damned fascists and religious wing-nuts as the zombies from hell!
So pick your poison: Death by a thousand judicial cuts, or maybe it’s time we just all jump into the proverbial abyss! Either way, this country is going to hell in a hand basket!
It's looking like our only remedy is the election, so VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! Our country is on the line, and I am afraid. One of my fears is that non-trumpers will stay home, and give our nation over to a dictator.
The only way any of this changes is with a trifecta in November for the one party in America that still believes in democracy. The chance of that happening is likely nil. I read somewhere that Alito was a compromise pick by Bush for SCOTUS and of course Thomas had a dark cloud hanging over him when he was selected to sit on the court after playing the race card in his rebuttal to the charge raised against him at the time. Wasn’t Biden the Chair of the Judicial Committee in the Senate at the time? Something must be done and again, could only happen if MAGA loses the November election.
Yes, Biden failed to call two women to testify to corroborate Anita Hill. I think he was afraid of being called a racist (Repubs, by the way, have no such fear). But don't let this deter you from voting for Biden, who has always regretted his mistake--we cannot let Trump win.
There is a recent movie about Anita Hill that lays all this out. Biden did not allow additional women who accused Thomas to testify. Kind of like with Kavanaugh.
Bullseye. Alito aligned himself in no uncertain terms with domestic terrorists who used political in a coup that killed people. He's a dangerous and alarming disgrace. Neither he or Thomas should sit on any J6 related trial and should be off the court completely. Both corrupt, both liars, both dangers to our American way of life that puts democracy and the rule of law at its center.
Thank you Steve for your no bs statement of fact about Alito and Thomas. They are both extreme, truly corrupt, pompous and arrogant and are a stain on the Robert’s Court. Please keep telling the truth on these bastards!
Roberts is a stain on the Roberts' court as well.
Alito and Thomas are the two insurrection sympathizers we know of. I suspect Gorsuch, who has yet to find a branch of government he doesn’t want to dismantle, is right up there. Along with Kavanaugh. So I’m guessing 4 for sure.
There are no words to describe how low and how corrupt the Roberts Court has become.
Stef, I don't think there's any doubt about Gorsuch and where his sympathies lie. There's enough of a paper trail on him to prove it. I don't hold Kavanaugh in high regard at all either, but he sometimes come off as a more moderate voice in his writings. I think his is a clever act, though. Yes, 4 for sure. This story should be major news going forward until Alito is humiliated and forced to resign.
Alito is without shame. He is behaving as he does because he can. The same for Thomas. Political hacks. Don't expect recusal or resignation from either one.
At this point, assuming that Roberts sides with the Lady Justices, the tiebreaker would be Justice Coney Barrett. And I don’t know how I feel about that. She certainly did her homework when they heard Rrump’s immunity case. She was sharp that day, contrary to her male colleagues who basically threw softball questions at the defense.
But the judges and Justices know that MAGAts are just waiting for a signal, anything that could justify mob violence. And I don’t think Justice Coney Barrett wants to be remembered as the one who ignited the riots.
I think you are correct and possibly there is a 5th. They are untouchable. Combined, their agenda is becoming more an more obvious. It is time to loudly condemn add to and balance out the top court by expanding and selecting from other than the rusty relic aka Heritage Society.
He’s in cahoots with the some of the very worst people on the planet. Blue wave > congressional hearings > impeachment of Alito (Alito’s Way) and Thomas > expand the court. For starters.
Exactly Mike Hammer. Roberts leads the most Corrupt Supreme Court in History, excepting Justices Sotomayer, Kagan , and Brown- Jackson
That is the “Problem”, Steve. “He should recuse himself” (but, he won’t) and neither will Thomas.
I know, for me, I have a real problem with this. We have 9 SC Justices. We also, all know that their leader (1 Leonard Leo who they listen to) = nothing less than Corrupted Court.
“We The People” are told “there is nothing we can do about this” so what, we are supposed to let this group destroy us?
We also have many well respected attorneys and Constitutional experts who have stated facts and/or shared their thoughts on why immunity is not in the Constitution. “Nothing we can do”?
This certainly cannot be so. Please someone explain this to us. This is unacceptable. Help?
Steve what can be done about Alito? Does Roberts have any control over this ? Can he force Alito to recuse himself from the immunity case? Can a Justice be removed from the Court? The Court is in shambles…
As far as I know, the only recourse is impeachment. But that's a longshot because of the 2/3 senate requirement. The only solution seems to be adding 4 more justices.
That’s what I suspected!
That’s my question. What CAN be done. And by whom & how & when? The Court is proving far more dangerous and corrupt than even I thought it could be. Even worse than those called politicians taking bribes.
Unfortunately, nothing will be done.
Agree 100%. Two sordid little men, weak and envious. Achieved the height in an intellectual pursuit (law), they are so small and petty as to trade it for what? Fly-fishing for free? Character counts America.
It's almost like they think, "I'm a Supreme Court Justice I should have this kind of lifestyle that Leonard Leo affords me. I am above the law. I have a lifetime appointment and that's the way the cookie crumbles."
WE think character counts. Do those who vote into office those who then confirm SCOTUS nominees to the Court? There is no general outcry.
Alito should be impeached. Thomas should recuse himself from Trump cases. And the court MUST be enlarged, otherwise we will see the last 70 yrs of progress reversed.
Thomas should also be impeached--he's just as bad as Alito.
Correct on both counts, but the people aren't screaming loudly enough about these two I wonder though if expanding the court would actually help? What if it were expanded and the Republicans win control? Wouldn't that give them the opportunity to expand it again, to include even more of their fascist and corrupt judges?
I think Dems should stop worrying about any future Repub actions. The Repubs never worry about it, and that allowed them to produce Trump and stack the SC.
I cannot say I disagree with you but I can say it is something I think about as someone who still believes in our freedom of speech and thought. My apologies if my thought process offends you in a way which prompted you to snark out at me for my thought.
My only intent was to share the possibility of a potential revolving door of expansion of the SC, creating an everlasting pi**ing contest between the two parties.
Tia Goode, I'm sorry if you thought my comment was directed at you--it was not. I was speaking about Dems in general, many who are reticent to speak against other Dems. It just happens that your comment motivated me to speak to the general reticence that we have as Democrats.
The principal Dem, who feels that way is Joe Biden. He hates to speak against moderates, including Repubs, whom he feels he might need in future battles. For example, it took him too long to speak out about the policies of Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, and the Repubs use that as one of their talking points. Also, his moderation gave us Clarence Thomas. He's still wishy-washy in his policy toward the hundreds of thousands of dead Palestinians; there are ways to tactfully be forceful. I will say however, that he's more progessive than Obama, who was really a moderate, trying to reach out across the aisle. How did that work out?--It took him about 2 years to realize they would not cooperate with anything he said; indeed, McConnell's stated goal was to make him a one-term president.
Of course, I will vote for Biden. Thankfully, he has moved to the left of the moderation of his younger days. I vote by mail in PA, where we have no problem with mail-in ballots. Of course, we've had gerrymandering problems in the past, but the mails are safe. We cannot vote, or not vote, because of one issue.
Please know that I was not offended by your comment. It just led me to an issue that I was going to comment on, anyway. Again, I apologize for the misunderstanding. I admire you for being a proud Democrat!
Eddie1a,
Thank you for your apology which is well received. I did think you were coming at me and for the misunderstanding on my part, I apologize to you.
Everything you've stated here is true and I agree with you. Note also, I will be on line with you voting for Mr. Biden as well, despite his oftentimes laissez-faire/ wait till it's a crisis- response time to serious issues, which I'm my mind is the MO of our Democrats.
Thank you for your sensible thoughts, your willingness to share them with me in order to further our understanding of each other, your commitment to our professed values as a country and most of all, your bravery to call it out when these values we are so proud of, fail to be applied to others in our world because of political games being played with all of our lives. 🇺🇸 🇺🇦 🇵🇸 🙏
PS..."My" side note on Obama...I always believed the determination of McConnell etal, had so much to do with their astonishment that a man of color was elected. Psychologically devastating to the malignantly narcissistic egos of the good ole boy kult. "How dare he"....😉
I just moved to paid subscriber. Thanks for the crystal clear acidly description of the SCOTUS situation. I am a retired attorney who always thought that our judicial institutions would be the ultimate restraint on the demagogue authoritarian trend of our politics. I was mistaken. You said it clearly. Keep saying it
It needs to be made clear to voters that elections are about the Supreme Court and who gets on there and how it shapes the country's future...these voters who vote 3d party because they are pissed off about something are the ones who saddle the rest of the country with these corrupt supreme court justices and most recently (and potentially future) corrupt Trump presidency.
Ditto for longtime Republican voters who will sit out the election if they dislike (!) Trump enough and the young liberal voters who are too pure to vote for Biden because of the catastrophic war on Gaza.
How though to make clear when most people neither read or watch news of substance? There is incredible (to this 77 yo who lived in a family that read and watched news) lack of interest it seems in presenting facts.
Our judicial system is in shambles.
From Judge Cannon delaying Trump’s documents trial indefinitely, to Clarence Thomas openly accepting graft from right wing petitioners to the Supreme Court, to Alito’s inverted flag waving support of a deadly mob of thugs attempting to overthrow the government.
The brazenness with which they do all this so openly and in our faces signals a willingness to submit to a Trump led authoritarian takeover with their full-throated support.
If the right wing extremists are in control of every branch of government next January, which is looking ever more likely, they will never let go.
And our democratic form of government will be done.
Steve, you have done a fantastic job here and on The Warning podcast fully exploring and informing us of the depths of depravity if justice alito. I have a question. What is the responsibility of the Chief Justice, John Roberts?
That is a question that I have as well. Seems Chief Justice Roberts is ineffective to rein in ‘his’ two to three justices who are doing as they please. How can he look at himself in a mirror and think he is doing a good job?
I have a feeling that Roberts is in their camp. I think he *pretends* that he worries about the court's legacy.
You are probably correct, but what legacy? Corrupt, influenced by MAGA, holier than thou…feel sorry for the three liberal justices, bet they wish they were not on the Court.
Yes. Plus someone said Robert's wife collected $10 million in fees for some kind of headhunting agency placing interns who would clerk for the justices… Something like that. Can't verify but I just read that somewhere.
Why would he care? Job for life means no pink slip.
What is so saddening and sickening about this moment is the proof positive that the Supreme Court is not comprised of members who honor the hallowed ground on which they walk. The judiciary that I once respected and revered with a sense of righteousness I now despise as a loathsome club of self-aggrandizing deceptive elitists. Their “morals” were set alongside the curbs of treachery, sacrificing the epitome of integrity for the grift of sloth. The Court has been corrupted by biased, self-serving idealists who have failed as jurists. Objectivity and integrity were sacrificed to the benefit of whim and bias.
They're not. idealists. I think you mean ideologues.
You are right. They are elitist ideologues!
Brilliantly said.
Thank you!
You nailed it, Steve, without the 🐂💩incorporated. Alito needs to be removed from the bench. It’s just that simple.
Besides, he threw his own wife under the bus with his comment “I knew nothing about the flag being upside down”. Really, idiot Alito. You live there! It had been inverted for days, according to your neighbors. The flag was flying inverted in the ‘National Distress’ signal in the FRONT YARD!
Alito isn’t even man enough to take blame fur his own actions. He doesn’t deserve to be on the bench of the Supreme Court, or any other court. He doesn’t even deserve to hold a law license!
Steve, excellent analysis, but the rot runs deeper than just Alito and Thomas. Although in Alito’s defense, his wife is apparently dyslexic, so the inverted flag was just a BIGLY misunderstanding…:)
That said, Chief Justice Robert’s wife enriched both of them by making more than $10 million in Headhunting l fees for hiring law clerks for the court (didn’t disclose).
Kavanaugh lied before Congress about his past partisan dealings during the Bush administration, not to mention his alcohol abuse, and sexual assaults.
Gorsuch, well who the hell knows what that guy is doing, except trying to dismantle every institution imaginable, and making a mockery of the rule of law, and himself.
And as for Coney Barrett? She’s in way over her head, and appears to be clueless in terms of self-awareness; attending a conservative conference after the Dobb’s decision, and taking a page out of the Nixon playbook: “The court is not a kangaroo court!Let’s just say her acting skills need a bit of a refresher course, to say the least!
The SC has become home of the four Justices of the TrumPocalypse:
Thomas is death
Alito is pestilence
Gorsuch is famine
Kavenaugh is just plain stupid!
As for Barrett and Robert’s? They complete the SC’s Village of the Damned fascists and religious wing-nuts as the zombies from hell!
So pick your poison: Death by a thousand judicial cuts, or maybe it’s time we just all jump into the proverbial abyss! Either way, this country is going to hell in a hand basket!
Good times!…:)
It's looking like our only remedy is the election, so VOTE, VOTE, VOTE! Our country is on the line, and I am afraid. One of my fears is that non-trumpers will stay home, and give our nation over to a dictator.
I’m not sitting home, I just hope the youth vote for Biden turns out, and minorities aren’t hoodwinked into voting for Trump or sitting home.
We need to enroll new voters, as republicans continue to remove millions from the voter rolls, or repress their vote altogether.
That said, I’m with you; democracy itself is on the menu…:)
The only way any of this changes is with a trifecta in November for the one party in America that still believes in democracy. The chance of that happening is likely nil. I read somewhere that Alito was a compromise pick by Bush for SCOTUS and of course Thomas had a dark cloud hanging over him when he was selected to sit on the court after playing the race card in his rebuttal to the charge raised against him at the time. Wasn’t Biden the Chair of the Judicial Committee in the Senate at the time? Something must be done and again, could only happen if MAGA loses the November election.
Yes, Biden failed to call two women to testify to corroborate Anita Hill. I think he was afraid of being called a racist (Repubs, by the way, have no such fear). But don't let this deter you from voting for Biden, who has always regretted his mistake--we cannot let Trump win.
There is a recent movie about Anita Hill that lays all this out. Biden did not allow additional women who accused Thomas to testify. Kind of like with Kavanaugh.
Bullseye. Alito aligned himself in no uncertain terms with domestic terrorists who used political in a coup that killed people. He's a dangerous and alarming disgrace. Neither he or Thomas should sit on any J6 related trial and should be off the court completely. Both corrupt, both liars, both dangers to our American way of life that puts democracy and the rule of law at its center.